High performance mobility network with autoconfiguration

Abstract

A high performance wireless mesh architecture which has been optimized for mobile end points is described. The mesh architecture is intended for Navy applications, where the wireless mesh network extends between mobile ships and includes ship-to-shore links, but it is equally applicable to other mobile elements on, in, or under land, air, sea, or space.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of communication in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being one of a base transceiver station and a mobile station and configured for communicating with one of a plurality of substantially like nodes, and the method comprising the steps of:
 a) using a base transceiver station to transmit beacons, the beacons comprising a media access control identifier specific to a radio module associated with the base transceiver station and a usage indicator; 
 b) using a mobile station to scan for beacons; 
 c) using the mobile station to sort the detected beacons according to signal strength; 
 d) establishing a first radio link between the mobile station and the radio module associated with the base transceiver station, wherein the selected radio module corresponds to the beacon having a greatest signal strength; 
 e) setting the usage indicator of the selected radio module to an unavailable status; and 
 f) repeating steps a, b, and c. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 g) establishing a second radio link by repeating steps a, b, c, and d, wherein no radio traffic is carried. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 h) when the signal strength of the first radio link has reached a predetermined level, using the second radio link to transmit data and terminating the first radio link. 
 
     
     
       4. A method of communication in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being one of a base transceiver station and a mobile station and configured for communicating with one of a plurality of substantially like nodes, and the method comprising the steps of:
 a) using a base transceiver station to transmit beacons, the beacons comprising a media access control identifier specific to a radio module associated with the base transceiver station and a usage indicator; 
 b) using a mobile station to scan for beacons; 
 c) using the mobile station to sort the detected beacons according to signal-to-noise ratio; 
 d) establishing a first radio link between the mobile station and the radio module associated with the base transceiver station, wherein the selected radio module corresponds to the beacon having a greatest signal-to-noise ratio; 
 e) setting the usage indicator of the selected radio module to an unavailable status; and 
 f) repeating steps a, b, and c. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  further comprising the step of:
 g) establishing a second radio link by repeating steps a, b, c, and d, wherein no radio traffic is carried. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
 h) when the signal strength of the first radio link has reached a predetermined level, using the second radio link to transmit data and terminating the first radio link.